Happy New Year and The Search for Max

Happy New Year!  We celebrated the new year by doing what we do best -- EAT!  We tried a new restaurant called Charlie Ray's between Winona and Carrollton. 

Charlie Ray's is a BBQ place that also does steaks, chicken, and burgers.  They also have live music sometimes.  They had a band starting tonight at 8:00.

Betty and the kids all got BBQ sandwiches and I got a 1/2 rack of ribs.  It was fun watching Matt try to get his mouth to open wide enough to eat his sandwich!

The tables were decorated with New Year's hats, beads, and noise makers.  Matt grabbed one and blew it and Betty told him not to do it again.  He thought he was being slick by hiding his eyes and slowly reaching his hand for the noise maker....

Matt wore himself out well before midnight....

We stopped by Marty's on the way home and tested out Justin and Jordan's Rock Band game.  Here's Jordan on the drums and me and McKenzie on vocals doing Eye Of The Tiger.

That might explain the screeching some of you in Grenada heard New Year's Eve.

A while after we got home, Betty noticed that Max was nowhere to be found.  We looked all over the house and called for him outside but no sign of him.  We were a little worried that something had happened to him like Davis and Suzanne were about Max's cousin George not too long ago.  Finally, Betty remembered that I had been in the storage room outside putting stuff in there from the storage building that we rented.  We went out to the storage room and opened it and out came Max fussing at us!  I had been putting stuff in there just before 5:00 and it was just before 11:00 when we found him in there.

Max was quite hungry and quite perturbed with us.  I guess our first New Year's resolution is to not lock our cat in the storage room again!

Happy New Year!!!

Sleepover

Last night, Matt couldn't get to sleep.  He kept coming up front with one excuse after another.  Finally, he came up front and asked, "Can Bobo sleep with me?"  Since nobody had to get up and go to school or work the next morning, we decided to let them.  I don't know why either one of them would want to share a twin bed when they both sleep all over the bed.  McKenzie was spread all over the place and Matt was smashed up against the guard rail, so I had to get a picture!

Special Cookie, Spicy Crustaceans, and Santa Claus

The last 24-plus hours have been fun and exciting and we've been awake for most of those hours!  I hope you like pictures because this post is full of them. 

Several days ago I took the kids to Wal-Mart for them to pick out what they were going to give to Betty.  I like for them to pick out their own gifts because it makes them even more special instead of me picking out gifts for them and sticking their names on them.  McKenzie decided on her gift first.  She said she knew what Mommy likes and said that Mommy would like a new doormat for after Christmas.  She picked it out herself and did a great job.

Matt was up next.  I asked him what he wanted to give Mommy and he thought for a second and said, "A special cookie!".  I tried to steer him toward pajamas or a new kitchen garbage can but there was no budging him.  He was determined to get Mommy a special cookie.  We ran into Jan, Andy, and Caleb while we were discussing the special cookie and Jan thought it was so sweet and wanted to help.  So........Christmas Eve, I took the kids over to Jan's and they made the Special Cookie.

I love this picture.  You can just see the love going into that Special Cookie!

Matt didn't like getting flour on his hands!

Even Dah (Caleb) joined in on the fun.

Matt was very involved in the making of the Special Cookie.  Here he is checking on the progress and helping decorate it.

Here's the finished product.  McKenzie was a big help, too.  Of course, they couldn't have done it without Aunt Jan's great help.

In addition to a piece of furniture Betty picked out weeks ago, my gift to her was this beautiful painting of our old house.  Our former neighbor, Betty Byrd, painted it, which makes it even more special.  It's no Special Cookie, but I think she liked it! :)

The Spicy Crustaceans were at Marty and Kenny's house where we celebrated with some of Betty's family.  Kenny cooked some amazing (and spicy) shrimp, sausage, corn, and potatoes, while Marty filled out the feast with chips, dip, and desserts.

I'm not sure what Granny and Matt were talking about, but it looks pretty serious.

The kids were about to go crazy waiting to open presents!

Somebody hold me back!  I want my presents!!!!

Here are some family pics with rare appearances by me in front of the camera!

Jordan was experiencing Christmas overload!  (Or was that Chirstmas overload, Jordan?) :)

 

BettyWard and Ward.

Justin, the Christmas Hippie!

Sisters.  "Lord help the mister who comes between me and my sister. And Lord help the sister, who comes between me and my man!"  Sorry, I watched White Christmas on Christmas Eve.  Maybe we can get Gail and BettyWard to sing next year!  Or maybe Charles and Ward! 

Matt got a football and drafted Parker as his holder.

After we got home, we let the kids play with their stuff a little and then got ready for bed and Santa.  We all got to bed around 11:00.

McKenzie decided that Santa gets plenty of milk and cookies and she wanted him to have a healthier snack at our house so she left him a PB&J sandwich and milk.  The note is wishing all of Santa's reindeer and Mrs. Claus a Merry Christmas.

Santa came!  Here is Matt's stuff.  A Wolverine hand, tools, and a lot of train stuff!

McKenzie was so excited she got up at 3:00!  Yes, that says THREE o'clock.  In the morning.  A.M.  Before the sun comes up, 3:00.  She did go back to bed after playing for a little over an hour and then got up when Matt got up at 7:00.

Here's Matt on a short night's rest.

And here's Wolverine!  Look out!  Matt said he's going to cut down trees with his Wolverine hand.

Dah and Jan came over to see what the kids got from Santa and Caleb played trains with Matt for a little bit.

Here's the Cummings Family Trio rehearsing for our upcoming 2010 tour.

McKenzie ditched the trio and is going to go out on a solo tour.

We hope everyone else had a wonderful Christmas, too!

Christmas in Eupora

Wednesday night we celebrated Christmas in Eupora with my family.  We usually have Christmas with my family on Christmas day but we moved it up because my Mom and Dad will be leaving Christmas Day to go to El Paso for my Uncle Sam's funeral.  More on that later.

It was really good to get together and talk about Sam a little bit and then just have fun visiting in our silly Cummings way.

Matt and McKenzie slept on the way to Eupora and the only person Matt wanted when we got there was Dah (aka Caleb).

I somehow caught everyone in mid-blink.  It looks like they're asleep, but we're really not that boring!

McKenzie acted as "Santa" passing out the presents.

Cassie getting a gift.

Grand enjoying all the activity.

Betty and Jan waiting for their loot!

Nana made a wonderful meal.  Here we are during dessert.  Andy is telling some story that obviously had an effect on Betty.  Check out her expression!

Chunch lovin' on Bobo.

I think Cassie had too much cake!

Nana and her second favorite son.  :)

Mom's brother, Sam Morrow, was struck and killed by a car Monday night in El Paso.  Sam was a month shy of his 86th birthday and was such a nice and caring man.  We have Morrow reunions every three years and it was always good to see Sam.  Sam was captured by the Germans on his 21st birthday in January of 1945, and spent six months as a prisoner of war.  He was very active in his church in El Paso and sang in their Christmas musical Sunday and then went caroling with a group from the church Sunday night.  He was just a really good man and he will be missed.  Here are a few pictures of Sam from our Morrow reunion last year.